Rogue Echo Bar 2.0

This was the first barbell I purchased when building my home gym back in 2020. I was able to purchase a boneyard version of the Rogue Echo bar with a bare steel shaft and bright zinc sleeves for $165 (before tax and shipping). For the boneyard price, I think this bar is hard to beat in terms of a starting all-around bar. The knurling on the shaft is solid for an all-around bar but lifting straps or chalk will be useful for heavy lifts. The sleeve spin on my bar is not consistent on both sides. One sleeve spins really well and it would be fine for entry level olympic weight lifting, but the other sleeve does not spin well and makes lifts like power cleans feel clunky. I would recommend the boneyard version of this bar for someone who is just starting a home gym but wanting to test the waters before spending the money on a nicer bar. I would have a hard time recommending the Echo bar at full retail price and would suggest spending the extra money to buy an Ohio bar or look at alternative imported bar options from other companies.

This was my first barbell, and while its a decent bar there are some downsides about the bar that I didn't pick up initially. First this was supposed to be a basic all around barbell, but someone decided to put only the IWF ring mark on the bar which is for Olympic lifts. Not many people do Oly lifting so not a great idea IMHO... I think they should have included dual ring marks or included the inside IPF ring mark.. The coating isn't so great, you'll see the bar slowly turn kind of brownish after 3-4 years. But its acceptable for a bar in this price range. I would recommend paying a little more and getting the Ohio bar or the Ohio Power bar, its worth the extra money.

While this bar is still fairly new to me, I have been enjoying it so far. Solid knurling, good spin. Work well with Olympic lifting movements.

I got this as my “beater bar” and it’s probably too nice for that but I’d rather sacrifice a less expensive barbell for things like landmine work. This is an excellent value.

I'm not actually 100% sure that the bar I have is technically an Echo bar because I bought it so long ago that the exact listing on the Rogue website no longer exists. It was called a "Rogue bar." But it's the same general thing- no center knurl, passive knurling, intended for multi-use. This was the only bar I owned for the first 5 years of my home gym, so i did everything with it. As a beginner, this worked fine and for anybody just starting out it's a very high quality bar and you won't miss any of the things that it doesn't do. I actually don't remember what the knurling was like originally because so much of it has been worn smooth from use and being racked into cheap metal J cups. But it couldn't have been too sharp. I still use this bar in most workouts with a landmine or just on accessory exercises. It got me started so i have a fondness for it but also- it's a perfectly good bar still. For someone who already has some years of training under their belt this is not going to be what they want, but anyone that just wants something basic with sleeves that spin that won't bend under heavy weight, go for this or something comparable instead of whatever Amazon special is the cheapest. Used, new, whatever- for something that will last literally decades paying a bit more upfront is worth it.

I really enjoy using the bar. It is a budget compromise for getting a high Olympic bar. The knurl is passive on this but will take a beating.

I bought mine from my wife’s old CrossFit gym that went out of business, it’s a quality made barbell that was an upgrade from my no name barbell which now has a permanent bend in it. I do find myself missing the center noting occasionally but again its built very well and has remained straight with more weight than my previous barbell ever saw.

I got the equivalent of an Echo bar in Rogue’s grab bag bar they did during Covid. Mine came in blue cerakote with chrome sleeves. The knurling is pretty passive and there’s only one set of rings at Olympic spacing (not powerlifting). Mine was a great deal with the grab bag but if I wanted something more similar to this new I would recommend getting an Ohio Power or other brand’s equivalent multipurpose bar.

Decent multipurpose barbell. Knurling is quite passive which is fine for general movements. Quality is down a notch from something like the Ohio bar.